


Starlight in Sunlight

by theonlineidofme



Series: Universal Reckoning [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon + Nobunaga no Yabou | Pokemon Conquest
Genre: Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Bittersweet Ending, F/F, Flashbacks, Lesbian Character, Plague, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28091559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theonlineidofme/pseuds/theonlineidofme
Summary: Years after Lady Yuzuki united Ransei and called Arceus down from the heavens, the land of Ransei is sick. It threatens to destroy everything Yuzuki, Ryota, and Oichi have built in their lives.
Relationships: Oda Oichi/Shujinkou | Heroine (Pokemon)
Series: Universal Reckoning [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058021
Kudos: 4





	Starlight in Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> This has been fun - this alternating, quick bite of narrative. I gave the flashbacks that help build the characters and relationships more content than the actual disastrous plague, but I think it works out. I hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> Edit: I really need to remember to do disclaimers even if they're not in vogue any more or whatever because you never know, especially with certain trends reoccuring in various governments :/
> 
> Anyway! I do not own pokemon or the Nobunga games. I am not nor interested in making money off of this fic. Have a delightful day

There was darkness, and stars shattering into dust in his eyes, and blood on his sister’s face, and - there was battle, there was tea, the sun, the moon, everything and nothing. _His mind was tearing apart._

Ryota clung to what he knew. He was Lord Ryota, he had seen Ransei united under his sister’s rule, he had seen her bond with Arceus, god of gods, and it had been ten years. Ten years of growing stronger with his Jolteon, of seeing Lady Oichi and his sister grow closer behind closed doors and then those doors slowly opening. He’d seen Ransei flourish even once it had been divided again, and had seen the world of trade and knowledge grow beyond the sea.

But why was he here? Flicking like starlight on the sea?

Ryota clung to dust, to blood, to pain, with his hands - no these didn’t feel like _hands_ , they were more like -

-

Lord Nobunaga had a private meeting with Lady Yuzuki today. Ryota waited in the gardens as he watched Jolteon play with the latest Eevee litter. They yipped as Jolteon darted with electrified feet amongst Lady Oichi’s flowers. Ryota laughed as he sat on the grass behind the flowers.

Ryota had a suspicion why Lord Nobunaga was here. Ten years had passed since his sister Yuzuki had returned the warlords’ their castles and territories and took up rule only for Aurora. Yuzuki and Oichi’s relationship had become increasingly public, but there was no discussion of marriage yet. And Ryota had heard the rumblings about no natural heir - if only they knew, but Ryota would never tell unless Yuzuki okayed it - but there was bickering about who should be heir as Yuzuki kept avoiding the subject.

Ryota was naturally considered the most prominent one, but he himself was unmarried and heirless. They were thirty now and that made the other warlords both salivate at the prospect of adding Aurora to their territory, and uncomfortable for their allies at the thought of losing such a “sacred line, one with Arceus” or whatever they said to Yuzuki.

Things had been simpler when mother and father ruled, but they were younger, children, and now mother and father were gone and scrutiny lay upon the twins. Certain secrets would be laid bare sooner or later, but Ryota preferred his stealth status, and didn’t want it to change.

Ryota wondered if Yuzuki would tell Lord Nobunaga her secret, and if he would be outed in the process too.

Ryota sighed and looked up at the sky. It was a bright day, and then he felt a fuzzy head against his shin. He smiled, and gently rubbed the ears of the cooing Eevee.

-

 _Jolteon, Jolteon, Jolteon_ , Ryota thought. His mind vibrated, sparks dazzled his eyes. Jolteon was here, but not, he’d been hurt, near dead, and there had been - had been…

Arceus had returned to Yuzuki’s side, _Arceus had been there and then the world had burst_ -

Starlight crawled in Ryota’s blood and he wanted to scream.

-

They were both covered in dirt and grass as the Eevees licked their faces. He clung to his partner and laughed. He had a partner! His small, soft fingers threaded through Eevee’s bushy fur. His twin called his name.

“Hmm?” He looked over to his twin.

“We have partners, which means…which means we can be who we want. If we can link and be warriors, why can’t we use our more proper names?”

Eevee pressed against his chin. Ryota smiled then.

“Yeah! Then I’ll be Ryota, and you’ll be Yuzuki.”

His sister laughed. She stood up as twigs fell from her hair. Her Eevee curled around her neck as she reached for Ryota’s hands.

“Let’s go, brother!”

“Lead the way, sister!’

-

Ryota was covered in fur, or perhaps it was sunlight. He fell and swirled, and shattered and drank dust and then he saw pokemon and places he’d never seen dashing around. He couldn’t describe them. He couldn’t feel them.

He fell and fell and he smeared in the everythingness and nothingness around him.

-

Yuzuki was always the leader, even when their parents had mistaken her for not Yuzuki as a baby. Ryota had always been happy to follow, though once he was Ryota, everyone wanted to follow _him_. Ryota had been his uncle’s name, a brave warrior who’d done well maintaining Aurora’s borders before falling in battle.

And then Yuzuki smiled and dazzled and charmed and fought and then _she_ sat on Aurora’s throne. Ryota was happy not to sit on the throne.

Aurora was their family home. Twenty years before Ransei saw unification before splitting, the heirs had been born as twins, as brother and sister. Everyone mistook one for the other, but Yuzuki led the way to them taking their proper place.

Ryota was happy to be in her shadow, the soft-spoken warrior who did not shine like his sister. He lived for himself and his family, not for a throne, and he was content.

-

Arceus had thrown Ryota here, into the nothing and everything, into death and pain, because Ryota was going to die in this torment…wasn’t he?

He couldn’t just exist in this torment forever, could he?

-

Ryota stroked the Eevee. It twitched and moaned. Bleary yellow eyes fluttered, its fur almost seemed to yellow at his touch.

Lady Oichi crouched beside him.

The land of Ransei was sick, and Lord Nobunaga and Yuzuki had gone to Infinite Tower.

“Arceus may finally return,” Yuzuki had said. And then she and Lord Nobunaga had departed.

“I’m worried,” Lady Oichi said.

Ryota looked up from the Eevee at her. It shuffled in his lap, and his heart ached. As his gaze rested on Lady Oichi, his heart ached further.

Lady Oichi was curled into herself. Her hands clutched each other with such force Ryota was afraid they would break. Her eyes glimmered with tears in the sunlight, and as he watched she began to bow her head to further curl around herself.

Ryota reached out and grabbed her hands. He gently rubbed them and pried them apart.

“Lady Oichi,” Ryota said. “Our siblings saved Ransei from itself. They will figure out this plague, with or without Arceus.”

Lady Oichi kept quiet, but Ryota wrapped his arms around her. She settled onto his shoulder when he pulled her close. The Eevee wheezed in his lap. Lady Oichi began to cry.

-

He plummeted through stars, through the sun, and then he saw blue sky and green grass.

And then like a falling star, he crashed.

\- -

Below Infinite Tower, Oichi clung to Yuzuki. Yuzuki was unconscious, bleeding, and gold fluttered in her eyes and mingled in her blood. Oichi pressed Yuzuki’s face to her chest as she bent down, and kept repeating as if in prayer:

“Please wake up, my love, we have to fight!”

The cave was dark. Infinite Tower shook the earth above them. Arceus rampaged high above. Yuzuki had lost control, whatever this plague was it had taken her _and_ Arceus. Oichi’s grip tightened and her vision blurred.

“Please wake up, _please_.”

\- -

Oichi walked with Wigglytuff in the gardens. Several of the warlords were meeting, and they enjoyed tea as they laughed about the days of fighting to unite Ransei under _their_ rule.

They last big fight had been necessary to stop Nobunaga and to see peace, to the degree Ransei was capable of peace with the continuing skirmishes that seemed more play than fighting, throughout the land. Oichi didn’t like fighting. Some days she dreamed of fleeing to another nation where warlords were either lacking or entirely absent.

But Ransei was home. She’d never known another land, she had reconciled with her brother, she had good friends amongst the warlords and the warriors, and…

Well. She had Lady Yuzuki.

Lady Yuzuki were the stars of the night, watching over them both during the campaign and during peace. She was the sun rising at dawn in glory for friend and family and Aurora where she had kept her throne. Lady Yuzuki was Arceus’ chosen, blessed in purity of heart and intent.

She had Oichi’s heart, but Oichi dared not speak. As the younger sibling, Nobunaga had given her the blessing to pursue whoever she may love without regard for needing to make political alliances. It was not because of him that she did not seek to hold Lady Yuzuki’s hand.

But Lady Yuzuki, while she had her twin brother, had proposals of courtship, marriage, and all sorts of partnerships that would be best for the future of Aurora and its political place of Aurora. It was unfair for Lady Yuzuki, that uniting and saving Ransei was not enough to secure the future of her and her people.

 _And me,_ Oichi thought selfishly. She could not follow her heart because Lady Yuzuki had to follow her duty as a ruler. And Oichi would not make Lady Yuzuki choose; Lady Yuzuki was her friend, and she had been allowed to fight her brother with never a suspicion that turn traitor. Three years had already passed, and this friendship - that sometimes felt deeply intimate and Oichi had to walk that boundary of showing love as a friend and ally and as a lover whereas Lady Yuzuki seemed unaware of that boundary. Or uncaring, but that would tear Oichi’s heart to shreds if Lady Yuzuki truly was so cruel.

Wigglytuff chirped and patted her paws against the back of Oichi’s knees. Oichi laughed, and bent down. Wigglytuff’s ears twitched against her chin. She stroked Wigglytuff’s ears.

“What is it dear?” Wigglytuff chirped again in response.

A dark shape with rings of gold darted past with a soft bark. Wigglytuff chirped again. Oichi straightened up and turned to see Lady Yuzuki.

Her armor gleamed in the descending sun. Her smile shined only for Oichi. Oichi felt her face redden and her heart flutter up between her ears.

“Ah! Lady Yuzuki!” Oichi clapped her hands together. She moved to bow as her flush darkened.

Lady Yuzuki laughed. “Please, just called me Yuzuki, Oichi, especially when we’re in private.”

Lady Yuzuki approached. Oichi dipped her eyes down. Her face felt as if it was ablaze along with the setting sun. Perhaps she was ablaze under the sun that was Lady Yuzuki.

Cool fingers touched her face.

“Oichi, I have something to tell you.”

\- -

Yuzuki’s breath rattled. Sometimes she gasped and stopped breathing, and Oichi stopped breathing with her. Her head swam as her heart beat to the tune of Yuzuki’s breathing.

It was dark under the tower, except for the glimmer of yellow ooze on the walls. It glowed just like Yuzuki’s eyes before they had fluttered closed. Ryota had fallen with them. Oichi clutched Yuzuki, rattling breaths and all, as her bruises ached and her bones felt like they may have snapped.

“Ryota,” Oichi cried. She pressed her face against Yuzuki’s hair. “Nobunaga.

Nobunaga was dead. Zekrom and Rayquaza had fled when he bled out on the tower. Arceus had rampaged when Yuzuki called him, and now they were in hell.

Ryota had not answered Oichi’s cries. He must be dead. They were all dead or in despair and Oichi cried as Yuzuki fell into silence.

\- -

Oichi pulled Ryota away from training once Yukimura settled down for a break. She had tried to stop it earlier, but Ryota and Yukimura were certainly forces not to be stopped with blazing fire, lightning, and swords. Now they were in the bathhouses, and Jolteon yipped at the front, guarding his master and friend. Wigglytuff was…somewhere. She’d never been a reliable guard.

“Ryota,” she said. “Did you…?”

Ryota coughed with a wince, but with Oichi’s help he was able to strip off the tunic and binding on his chest. He coughed again as his chest had room to breathe again.

“Ryota, you know better,” Oichi said. She shook her head as she looked him over. His chest was red, and she thought he must be bruised if not worse. “You need to rest. And not wear that in training.”

Ryota chuckled. “I’m sorry. Yukimura wanted to train, and I didn’t think except to, well…”

Ryota flushed and he glanced away. He rubbed his cheek as his breathing evened out.

Oichi frowned. Blinked, and asked, “I thought you were going to court Aya?”

“Ah, well, she’s not into men regardless of what’s in our pants,” Ryota laughed. He winced a little, but it did not kill his mirth. “And I’ve always, ah, admired Yukimura. Why must warriors be so pretty?”

Oichi laughed. “Oh, he certainly is, but the prettiest is Lady Yuzuki.”

“And not me?” Ryota grinned. Oichi laughed and patted his arm.

“Well, let’s get you decent again. Then you can go back out and impress your man.”

Ryota spluttered and Oichi laughed harder at the shade of red Ryota became.

\- -

Arceus bent down. It bled gold and oozed pain.

“Yuzuki, Yuzuki,” Arceus said. Its voice echoed and rattled. Oichi’s ears rang.

Oichi clutched Yuzuki tighter to her. Yuzuki twitched in her arms. The air shook as Arceus stumbled on its legs.

“Oichi, Yuzuki called you.” Arceus’ voice rattled.

“I won’t let you hurt her anymore.”

Oichi was facing a god. He would smite her and Yuzuki in the same breathe. Oichi’s chin rested on Yuzuki’s head and she shivered under Arceus’s gaze. She did not release their locked eyes, however.

“Oichi…,” Yuzuki breathed.

Arceus watched them. Oichi’s vision blurred, but she saw Arceus shaking.

“Ransei is lost, but I will take this sickness. This corruption. And I will hold it away for as long as I can.”

The cave began to glow. There was rumbling of other beings. Oichi’s head rumbled with Zekrom’s roar.

“Yuzuki, you must let go of me.”

Oichi looked down. Yuzuki’s eyes were open. The whole of them were yellow, but her face was pointed to Arceus. Golden tears ran down her face. The tears floated like reverse rain. The whole room glowed with ooze. Oichi heard a familiar bark and chirp, but she could not look away.

“Must I?” Yuzuki asked, yellow smearing as her eyes fluttered.

“Yes.” The world rumbled at Arceus’ words.

“Then free us all.”

Oichi pulled Yuzuki into a sitting position as Yuzuki choked. More gold drained from her.

And then all was darkness, and Oichi couldn’t breathe.

\- - -

Yuzuki felt sand beneath her face. A soft nose pressed into her hair. She remembered the battle, the choking as corruption filled her.

How arrogant she had been to think she could cure Ransei.

But she wasn’t dead, or sick. Yuzuki blinked open her eyes.

\- - -

“I’m Yuzuki!” Yuzuki declared to her parents. “And I have an Eevee.”

Eevee chirped as Yuzuki held them above her head.

“Dear,” her mother laughed. “You’re - ”

“ _I’m_ Yuzuki, and _he’s_ Ryota.”

“Yeah!” Ryota said. “You got us mixed up!”

\- - -

Yuzuki met the gaze of Umbreon. Yuzuki coughed, but smiled. Umbreon yipped and nuzzled her again. Her head ached as she stroked Umbreon.

The land was sick, the pokemon were sick, and…could people get sick too?

Yuzuki rubbed her eyes as they burned and waited for Nobunaga’s arrival.

\- - -

“I love you.” Yuzuki held Oichi close. Their faces pressed together.

“But what of a political alliance! You are the ruler of Aurora and - “

“Politics are meant to be scrambled,” Yuzuki said. “I love you, and I hope you do too.”

Oichi flushed. Yuzuki pressed her lips to Oichi’s cheek, and then whispered in her ear. Yuzuki’s heart wasn’t ready, but she wanted Oichi to know her deepest secret. Perhaps one day it wouldn’t have to be.

Oichi was silent at Yuzuki’s words. Then she wrapped her arms around Yuzuki’s neck.

“I would love you even if you were Ryota,” Oichi said. “But you’re Yuzuki and you - you have my whole heart.”

Yuzuki smiled as her eyes watered, and she kissed Oichi. Her lips were as soft as Yuzuki had always imagined.

\- - -

Yuzuki crawled onto her knees. A screech and pink ears wobbled toward her. Yuzuki cried at the sight of Wigglytuff.

There was blood, sickness, death, crumbling, shatter, shatter, shatter -

Yuzuki was screaming - wanted to scream - as her blood filled with golden plague.

\- - -

Ryota had cried when Yuzuki said Oichi would understand, and he cried as he told Oichi how his first name hadn’t been Ryota.

They’d also been able to bond over finding both men and women attractive, where Ryota had always had angst about having no one to talk to about handsome men.

“It’s not my fault I only think women are pretty in that way, Ryota,” Yuzuki complained. But she smiled, because their family wasn’t so small anymore. It was warm as the hearth was in winter.

\- - -

Yuzuki felt sand under her cheeks. Her clothes were tattered, but her head was clearer than it had been in days. Yuzuki gasped as she sat up. Her body ached, and she pressed a hand to a bleeding wound.

She didn’t see or hear anyone. Yuzuki shook and called out. Silence, except for the wind and waves that she felt at her knees. Tears flowed down.

 _What happened, what happened, where am I?_ Yuzuki remembered plague, and tearing and ripping, and blood eating her and -

“Is anyone else here?” Yuzuki called out again as she weeped.

“Yuzuki!”

“ _Oichi!_ ”

\- - -

Arceus bellowed the moment his feet touched the tower. The stone frothed and bubbled and yellowed like the ailing pokemon. The plague had come to life. It did not creep as it had for months.

Nobunaga shouted.

They had made a mistake, they had made a grave mistake. Yuzuki screams harmonized with Arceus’ roar and Nobunaga was bleeding out and they were alone and Oichi and Ryota were falling and Arceus was in pain and it was her fault her blood boiled and soured her head was splitting _make it stop_.

\- - -

Yuzuki fell on top of Oichi as the pair collided. And Yuzuki’s knees gave out. They laughed and cried on the unfamiliar beach. Soon there were soft heads and Yuzuki sobbed as Umbreon and Wigglytuff appeared. They were bloodied and limped but they were _breathing_.

Oichi ached and bled and Yuzuki refused to let her go.

\- - -

“Oh trust me,” Yuzuki said. She gripped Oichi’s hands as the cherry blossoms fell around them.

The other warlords were gathered. Nobunaga smiled and Ryota had disappeared with Yukimura.

“What for - ” Oichi clamped her mouth closed to keep from squealing when Yuzuki lifted their clapped hands and pressed a kiss to Oichi’s fingers.

Only some people saw, some with nods or wide eyes, but Nobunaga laughed as Yuzuki grinned.

“We can’t stay secret forever, my love. I should have warned you.” Yuzuki’s smile softened. Oichi tightened her grip, leaned in, and pressed a kiss to Yuzuki’s cheek.

“I…would prefer to go slow, but I look forward to the day that…we…”

Cherry blossoms mixed in their hair and Yuzuki nodded.

“I understand. Shall we entertain our guests?”

\- - -

Yuzuki stared at the blue sky. She was on her back, steadying her breathing. Her body ached. Her blood did not boil with that…that horrendous sickness, that magic, but oh she was tired. And she winced as Oichi tightened the bandage on her side before laying down beside her. Umbreon was pressed again Yuzuki’s face, and she could hear Wigglytuff’s snores.

They were alone on the beach. Yuzuki did not remember enough of what had happened to begin to understand, but she knew this was not Ransei. And Oichi trembled when she’d asked even a cursory, “do you remember?’ so Yuzuki locked her questions away for now.

“Now what?” Oichi asked while grabbing Yuzuki’s hand.

“It’s the beginning and the end,” Yuzuki said. Arceus’ promise to take away the sickness at the end is what she remembered. She asked for freedom.

Ransei was gone, but perhaps others had been saved by…other pokemon, because Yuzuki was sure Arceus had not been the ones to send them away. She may be wrong, but that plague must have stripped Arceus of power as much as it stripped her of herself.

Oichi tightened her grip. Yuzuki heard her crying again. Oichi sat up and then bent down so that her face was against Yuzuki’s neck.

“I love you,” Yuzuki said. “And I will continue to love you forever and ever.”

A sob bubbled up, but Yuzuki repeated herself until she wrapped her arms around Oichi and cried into her lover’s hair.

They were alive, but the beach felt ever so lonely.


End file.
